Mar 20

Your Two Brains

Have you ever wished you could stop the negative chatter in your mind?   You know the voice that says, “You can’t really do that.” or “You’re not good enough.”  That critical voice was quieted when Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist suffered a massive stroke. Jill observed what happened as she slowly lost function in her left-brain.

Take a few minutes to be inspired by her story:

As she discusses, we use our left-brain to make plans, think through problems and achieve goals.  We also revisit past events, replay previous hurtful memories or long for the way things used to be.

The left-brain can only focus on past and future events.  While the present moment is accessible by the right-brain, which is where beauty, joy, and inner peace reside.  In My Stroke of Insight, Jill writes,

“The more attention we pay to the details of how things look, sound, taste, smell, feel against our skin, and feel physiologically inside our body, the easier it is for our brains to recreate any moment.”

Jill suggests accessing your right-brain by noticing your five senses, using movement practices like yoga and Tai Chi, walking in nature, listening to music or engaging in other creative arts.  She also recommends using mantras or incantations to help dispel negative thinking. Say to yourself, “In this moment I reclaim my joy”, “In this moment I am perfect, whole and beautiful”.

We were given two brains for a reason:

• How can you start using the power of your right brain?
• What incantations will you use to counter habitual negative thoughts?
• How will you remind yourself to experience the present moment?

Start using your two brains to live fully – physically and mentally.